Question
Hi,

I had a landscape architect design and complete my landscaping, It has been three years since and I noticed one area that never seems to do well, on the other side of my fence there is a maple or oak tree, the roots spread like spider webs just below the soil. I heard that some of these trees suck up all the water. I do have a drip system. Could this be what's killing my plants bushes etc... It does get shade until the afternoon when it gets sun, I'm trusting that my landscaper planted the proper plants there.

BTW I'm a registered Expert on the Computer Networking subject, if I can help you in anyway.

Answer
Chris,

Maple trees do have a very extensive root system that will compete with all other plants (and normally win). This will put undo stress upon any plant that is planted within range of it's reach (root systems can grow out past the dripline). If this is coupled with plants that require more sun than they are recieving, then the plants will suffer. You did not say what types of plants they were, but I have found that Landscape Archetects do not always design for the conditions that exist, but they do design for aesthetic purposes.

If you need further help, I would recommend e-mailing me some photos of the area. You can send them to [email protected].

Good luck,
Ed Gulliksen